Rubber lift for boots and shoes.



Patented May 21, 1918.

T. A. GAMBINO.

RUBBER LLFT FOR @0015 AND SHOES.

APP'UC'AUON FILED NOV. 24

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THOMAS A. GAMBINQOF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED LACE & BRAID MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF RHODE ISLAND.

RUBBER LIFT FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1918.

Application filed-November 24, 1917. Serial No. 203,653.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOHAS. A. GAMBINO, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rubber Lifts for Boots and Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to rubber lifts for boot and shoe heels and it has for its object to provide an improved article of this kind.

My improved rubber heel lift is molded on a concavo-eonvex shape, the convex side being the tread or outer surface of the lift, and the concave the inner side which seats against the leather shoe heel when attached. It differs from concavo-convex type of heel lifts as heretofore constructed, however, in

that it is made thinner at its middle than at its margin, and is provided upon its concaved side with an elevation or boss, the thickness of the lift from the top of this boss or elevation to the tread side of the lift being preferably less than the thickness at the edge of the lift. The preferred construction of my improved lift also provides a beveled marginal area bordering the inneror top side of the lift whichextends inwardly from the edge, or from near the edge. This beveled marginal portion contacts with the edge or, corner of the shoe heel when placedin position upon the latter preparatory to nailing, leaving the middle portion of the lift, including the boss or elevation, supported out of contact with the surface of the shoe heel, and when nails are driven through the lift and into the shoe heel to seen-re the lift in position, the latter is flattened down against the heel but with only the beveled marginal portion and the top of the boss or elevation in contact with the heel. Other features of my invention are hereinafter pointed out.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved lift for boots and shoes.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the inner or top side of the lift.

plied to a shoe heel, showing the same be.-

fore it is trimmed to fit the heel.

My improved heel lift 1 is made of sulficient thickness to provide a suitably elastic I cushion and corresponds in outline to the outline of the usual boot or shoe heel. The tread or outer side :2 of this lift is convex and preferably smooth while the top or inner side 3 is concave,-the latter being peculiarly shaped so that the lift is considerably thinner at and near its middle a than at its edges =6. This concaved side is also formed with a boss or elevation 4 molded thereon which may be in the form of a horseshoe shaped ridge, disposed parallel with the outer edge of the lift and extending from a point near one side of the breast 5 around the lift to a point near the oppo-' site side of said breast. The thickness of the lift from the top of this boss to the tread side surface 2 is less than the thickness of the lift at its edges 7), but greater than the thickness at the middle of the lift. To show this difference the line a3-:c, parallel with the tread side surface 2, has been applied to Fig. 5 of the drawings.

The thickness of the marginal portionof the lift throughout the circuit of the latter ,diminishes toward the middle of the lift,

a boot or shoe the beveled marginal portions 6 and 7 first contact with the edge of the heel so that it is necessary to bend the lift into flat shape in order to seat the boss or ridge 4 upon the heel. The lift is fastened to the heel 9 by nails 8, as usual, said nails I being driven through metallic washers 10 incorporated in the lift when it is molded As will be clear these washers and cured. 10 are preferably alined with the boss or ridge 4 so that the nails are driven throughthe latter. Also it will be clear that when the lift is fastened in place on the heel an air tight suction and cushion chamber 11 is provided between the heel and lift which makes the lift more resilient than those heretofore used. At the same time, since only fits itself to the surface of the heel more readily than heretofore and it is unnecessary to smooth off and finish the heel to the degree that has been necessary with heel lifts of this class as heretofore constructed.

The diderence between the thickness of the lift at its edge and the thickness through the lift at the boss or ridge, is provided in order that the lifit may be adapted for use upon a heel of any one of many diflerent sizes. That is, a relatively large;heel engages the beveled surfaces 6 and 7 on a line higher and farther away from boss 4 than does a smaller heel, and although the distance between the top surface of boss 4: and the surface of the heel will vary ac-, eordingly, being greater with a large heel than with a smaller one, it will be clear that by making the lift sufficiently thinner.

through the boss portion than at the edge it is rendered applicable to "any one of severaldiflerent sizes, but in each case-the lift is stressed and flattened so as to establish intimate contact between the marginal portions thereof and the edge of the heel, and to bring the boss 4: against the heel, by the fastening nails. v

After driving the fastening nails 8 the lift may be trimmed at its edge as usual.

Heretofore concavo-convex heel lifts have been molded with their inner coneaved sur face parallel With their outer convexsurface, thusmaking the lift of uniform thickness throughout and requiring that the innor surface of the lift be fitted to the fiat surface of the shoe-heel throughout its area. That is, it was nemary to smooth off or level the entire area 5f the surface of the shoe heel order to properly prepare it to receive the rubber lift for the reason that any elevation, particularly an elevation near the mar '1 of the shoe heel would prevent the marginal portion of the rubber .lift from properly seating upon the edge of the shoe-heel. The use of my improved heel liftdoes not require such careful preparation of the shoeheel.

While, -I-have sliown-in the drawings a lift with. a, boss or elevation 4 extending in a solid line around-the concave surface I from one side'of the breast to the opposite side, I do not mean to confine my inventi0n.,to that particular construction for it Will-be apparent that a non-continuous ridge or elevation will efl'e'ei substantially t same result, such for instance as individual bosses or elmations alined with the washers and nail holes. It will also be obvious that the elevation 4 need not necessarilyhe a narrow ridge as shown in the drawings, and that such elevation may extend sine side to seat against the shoe heel when the lift is applied thereto.

2. A rubber lift for boots and shoes made eoncavo convex with the middle portion thereof thinner than the marginal ortion; an integral boss upon the top side 0 the lift to seat against the heel when the lift is an .plied thereto; and a nail receiving Washer incorporated in the heel below said boss.

3. A rubber lift for boots and shoes made conoavoconvex; with integral boss upon fll'e'top side of the lift to seat against the -heel when the lift is applied thereto, the

thickness of the lift from the to of said bossto the tread side of the lift eing less than the thickness of the lift near its edge.

4. A rubber lift for boots and shoes made with a convex tread side and with its middle portion thinner than its marginal por-' tion, and an integral boss upon the top side to seat against the heel when the lift is applied thereto. I

5. A rnhher lift for boots and shoes made with a convex tread side and with its mid dle portion thinner than its marginal portion, and an integral boss upon the to side to seat against the heel when the lit is applied, the thickness of-the lift-through said boss being less than the thickness near the edge of the lift.

: 6. A mbber lift for boots and shoes made with a convex tread side and with its middle ortion of less thickness than its marportion; an integral ridge projecting above the top side of the lift to seat against ion the shoe heel, the thickness of the lift through said ridge ing less than the tlZ1Ckness through the lift near its edge, and nail receivin means embedded. in'the lift immediately elow said ridge.

7 A rubher lift for boots and shoes made 'with a convex tread side and a conoaved nessthrougli the lift near its edge, and nailreceiving means embedded in the lift ire mediately below said ridge.

A. Grl/llllhlfi. 

